


bumps in the road

by 4wholecats



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [25]
Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Carriage Accident, F/M, Febuwhump 2021, Minor Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:08:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29466282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4wholecats/pseuds/4wholecats
Summary: The wheels skid in the mud again, the sudden movement knocking the side of Zeke’s head against the door. He groans as he shields his aching skull, scooting further towards the center of the vehicle with a sour look on his face. Tatiana giggles.“You could always ride along on your horse next time.”“Oh, I intend to. This is awful.”
Relationships: Teeta | Tatiana/Zeke
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2114982
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	bumps in the road

**Author's Note:**

> this isnt whump this is 1000 words of minor injury and tatiana being cute

“It’s so rare to be able to travel by carriage…” Tatiana mumbles, eyes wide as she stares out the window at the rolling green hills of Zofia’s countryside. A great haze consumes the horizon, the clouds from a recent rain shower drifting off into the distance and leaving the surrounding area muggy and damp. Zeke grips the seat with a stiff hand as he feels the carriage slide on the muddy road again. He would have preferred a horse, but Alm had insisted on providing them a means of traveling to the palace... 

“If only the weather wasn’t so bad,” he remarks with a grimace.

“It’s a good thing we’re in here, then,” Tatiana chirps back. “I wouldn’t want to be riding out in the rain…”

Zeke could handle a little rough weather… but perhaps the carriage was the better option for the cleric. She’d dealt with rain and storms many times in the past, but they usually resulted in a cold or cough a few days later. He doubted the King and Queen would appreciate their visitors arriving only to spread illness around the palace. 

The wheels skid in the mud again, the sudden movement knocking the side of Zeke’s head against the door. He groans as he shields his aching skull, scooting further towards the center of the vehicle with a sour look on his face. Tatiana giggles.

“You could always ride along on your horse next time.”

“Oh, I intend to. This is awful.”

“Not enough leg room?” She kicks him lightly in the shin.

“That’s one issue among many,” he nudges her back with the tip of his boot. The carriage was built to hold four people, but it’s still a bit cramped. “I’m mostly concerned with all this sliding around in the mud… it can be dangerous on unmaintained roads like this-”

As if to answer him, something beneath them makes a sound- halfway between a crunch and a crack. A shudder travels through the floor and as the two passengers make eye contact in alarm, the whole tiny room begins to tip onto its side. Tatiana, eyes wide and mouth open in shock, lurches out of her seat, and Zeke thanks the stars above for his quick reflexes as he grabs onto her, tucking her body into his arms to keep her safe from harm. 

He lands on his back with a thud, the handle of the door pressing hard into his spine as it readjusts to its new role as the vehicle’s floor. The glass of the window beneath them cracks, and mud begins to ooze in, staining the back of Zeke’s coat as he rolls away from the sharp edges. Tatiana squeals slightly as he deposits her back on the seat, which is more of a wall at this point, but is comfortable nonetheless…

They both take a moment to breathe, brains still spinning as the world stops tumbling over itself.

“Are you alright?” Zeke groans. Tatiana spits hair out of her mouth.

“Oh… perhaps you were right… Yes, I’m fine- are you?”

“Perfectly,” he grumbles, sitting up and brushing some of the mud out of his hair. “Muddy roads…”

“The carriage broke… I can’t believe it…” Tatiana whispers, leaning against the seat cushion.

“One of the wheels probably got stuck in the mud and cracked…” Zeke mumbles, sitting up. “It’s a good thing we’re on a flat road and not a hill… or- gods forbid- a cliff…”

Tatiana lets out a deep breath.

Zeke looks around the cabin with tired eyes. “Well… we can’t stay in here forever… I should…”

“The driver!” Tatiana exclaims.

Zeke nods. “I wonder if he was thrown… I’ll go check- Let’s get you out of here…”

He can’t stand up straight in the sideways cabin, but thankfully the door now serving as a ceiling is unlocked. Spots of drizzle fleck inside, making the wood slippery, but soon enough he kneels on the outside of the carriage’s side, one hand outstretched. “Your turn- I’ll lift you.”

He tugs her out of the door with little trouble, frowning as she rubs her arm with the palm of her hand.

“Okay… I might have smacked my elbow against the seat… oh that’s going to bruise… I can already feel it…” She looks up at him balefully. He fixes her hair with a sigh. “Oh… you’re going to get a bruise there as well…”

“Where?”

“Your face has a big red mark on it.”

He reaches up. Now that she mentions it… his cheek does ache…

“Yeah, right there… If I had my staff, I could fix both of us right up…”

“I can wait… We’re almost at the castle, and I’m sure there’s someone there who can take a look at your arm…” Zeke scans the road for signs of the driver. The form of a man skitters around near the horses, trying to calm them. At least they wouldn’t be stranded here…

Tatiana giggles, and Zeke raises a brow.

“You look like you got in a fight!”

“Do I?”

“Your hair is a mess… and you’re covered in mud… not to mention you’ll have a black eye soon enough…”

Zeke narrows his eyes as he climbs off of the carriage’s corpse. “Does it look like I won the fight?”

Tatiana smiles as she slides off the side as well, landing in the muck with a splat. “If anyone asks, I’ll say you took on ten bandits at once and came out on top with barely a scratch on you.”

“No need to lie to Alm about such a thing for my ego’s sake; he’s already seen me do that with his own two eyes.”

Tatiana shrugs. “Well then, we’ll say that I was the one that defeated them. I’ve got a bruise too, you know.” She wags her elbow in his direction as emphasis. 

“Yes, I’m sure that everyone will believe that without hesitation…”

“ _ Hey! _ ”

**Author's Note:**

> every day i make jokes about hitting camus with my car on twitter and one day i will actually follow through with it


End file.
